ACQSC Cloud Strategy Development

Purpose of Engagement

The Aged Care Quality and Assessment Commission (“The Commission”) is seeking to engage a qualified cloud architecture vendor to develop a comprehensive cloud strategy. This strategy must guide The Commission’s future use of Microsoft Azure and support the consolidation of operations currently managed by a third-party cloud provider into the agency’s Azure environment. Additionally, the strategy must incorporate integration with existing PaaS and SaaS solutions—such as Workato, Pega, TechnologyOne ERP, TeamMate+, Snowflake, and Alation. The plan should explore opportunities for hybrid and multi-cloud approaches, improve service agility, and ensure alignment with government standards and security requirements.

Alignment with DTA

The selected vendor must ensure that the cloud strategy aligns with Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) guidance, including the Digital Service Standard, Secure Cloud Strategy, and Hosting Certification Framework. The strategy should support secure, risk-based cloud adoption; consider IRAP-certified services; enforce data sovereignty (with preference for PROTECTED-level hosting in Australia); and enable digital identity integration (e.g., myGovID). It must follow API-first design principles, comply with Commonwealth Procurement Rules, and promote reuse of whole-of-government platforms (e.g., GovCMS). Cloud exit strategies should be defined to minimise lock-in risks, and sustainability targets should be addressed.

Refer to the attached Requirements document for further information regarding functional requirements, non-functional requirements and assumptions